Toy



Feb. 12, 1935. K. MATSUMOTO TOY Filed Oct. 6, 1933 Patented Feb. 12,1935 I UNITED STATES PATET oFFmE The present invention relates to toysand has to do particularly with movable toys made up to simulate movableobjects as automobiles, wagons and like vehicles, or as mice, beetlesand other creatures which move about over flat surfaces.

In carrying out the invention Iemploy a heavy ball which will readilymove about over a flat surface in response to slight tiltings of thesurface in different directions, and then mount upon the heavy ball alight body which will .be carried by the ball and moved with it in itstravels over the supporting surface, but in each instance the light bodyhas a part which engages the surface upon which the device travels andthus provides a drag which in a measure retards the travel of the devicebut in doing so guides it in a definite direction. This draggingfunction is an important feature of the present invention and clearlydistinguishes it from other similar devices which if guided at all areguided by quite difierent means. The light bodies may be made up indifferent ways and of different light materials and to simulate allsorts of moving objects.

In the present instance the body simulated is an automobile of racingdesign. This is, of course, only typical. Since the invention may takequite different forms than the one illustrated dependence is placed uponthe appended claim to cover all those forms which rightly come withinthe scope of the invention.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had tothe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a toyconstructed in accordance with the present invention showing the tail ofthe toy blocked up so as to maintain the bottom of the body parallel tothe supporting surface.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same structure.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the same showing the ball inelevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig.2, the tail of the body in this case engaging the supporting surfaceWhich is shown inclined.

45 Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank out of which the body is formed,the scale being somewhat reduced over that of the other figures of thedrawing.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken'on a plane indicated by the line 55of Fig. 1.

Throughout these views like characters refer to like parts.

The toy consists essentially of the heavy ball A and the light body B.

The ball A is preferably a metal ball composed of lead, steel, or otherheavy material. If desired it may be a ball of the kind employed in ballbearings. It freely travels over the supporting surface 10.

- The body B is, in the present instance, formed out of a blank C. Thisblank includes a bottom 5 portion 11 and a top portion 12 all made outof a continuous sheet of material. The bottom 11 is provided with acircular opening 13 near one end of the blank. As clearly shown theopening 13 is large enough to allow the ball A to protrude through itbut not large enough to pass the ball. The opening 13 might thus becalled a socket opening. It receives and holds the ball against escape.

The top portion 12 of the blank C is given sufiicient width so as tofurnish the material necessary to the shaping of this portion of theblank into the finished top 14 of the body B which is carried by theball. As before noted the body is shown as that of an automobile andincludes a depressed portion 15 corresponding to the cockpit of a racingmachine. In this cockpit is a ball 16 which simulates the head of thedriver seated down in the cockpit. The forward end 17 of the top 14 iscurved downward and side projections 18 occur to simulate forwardfenders while the rear of the body has an upper portion somewhat pointedas indicated at 19 while the rear endof the body provides a flat tailportion 20 which joins with the bottom 11 along the meeting line 21 atwhich the blank parts are folded to bring them together in assembledrelation. Rear fender portions 22 are also indicated by suitableelevations upon the top 14 of the body.

The portion of the body just forward of the cockpit 15, which portion isdesignated 23, is spaced from the bottom 11 far enough to insure thatthe ball A, when bearing against the portion 23, will extend asuiilcient distance through the opening 13 to properly engage thesurface 10. The portion 23 thus constitutes a bearing for the ball A andthis bearing, it will be noted, is located directly above the opening11. The concave. under surface of the portion 23 is spherical and thusclosely engages the ball surface. This partial spherical portion 23cooperates with the opening 13 to provide What may be termed a cagebearing for the ball A. The latter is free to rotate but is, as it were,caged and cannot escape.

If it is desired to keep the bottom of the body B parallel to thesupporting surface 10 then a block 2 1 or other means must be employedto hold up the surface engaging tail 20 of the device. Otherwise it willdrop down into contact with the surface 10 as indicated in Fig. 3. Thislatter luloid or other light and workable material.

position is the one it normally occupies when traveling over thesupporting surface. As clearly shown the tail engages the supportingsurface and provides a drag upon the traveling body B. The end of thebody B which carries the ball A moves freely about as it is carried bythe ball but the tail 20 is in constant contact with the supportingsurface and'so travels along behind the ball. Thus the general directionof travel is determined and the end 17 is always the forward end of thedevice and the tail 20-the rear end. Prior art devices fail to providethis tail and its directional control although some similar devioesemploy balls as the element for devisin a light superposed structure.

7 It will also be noted that the bottom 11 extends a considerabledistance laterally out from opposite sides of the ball A and the ballopening 13 two portions bent along the line 21 so as to bring themtogether in final position with the ball in place. Of'course, other waysof connecting the top and bottom may be employed.

It should also be noted that the material out of which the body B isformed may vary. In some instances it may be desirable to employ celisalso found that sheet metal such as tin or the like may be employed. Ofcourse, in such case the metal is very thin. Obviously in carrying outthe invention many changes may be made in respect to the materialsemployed and the manner of connecting them together aswell as in otherdetails without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Itherefore do not wish to be unduly limited in this respect but aim tocover by the terms of the claim all those alterations and modificationsthat rightly come within the scope of the invention.

- A toy comprising a relatively heavy ball adapted to roll about over asupporting surface, and a light body carried about by said ball, saidbody having a top of thin materialshaped to simulate a traveling objectand having a partial spherical inner surface for engaging the top ofsaid ball as a bearing therefor, said body also having a bottom of thinmaterial having a socket opening in it directly below said partialspherical surface, said opening beingof sufiicientsize to allow saidball to protrude therethrough when in engagement with said partialspherical surface above, said bottom at a point away from said ballengaging said supporting surface and providing a drag on the toy as thelatter moves about over the support-

